Matthew Wade
Australia |fullname = Matthew Scott Wade |born = 26 December 1987 |birthplace = Hobart, Australia |nickname = Wadey |height = 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |hand = Left-handed |batting = Left-handed |bowling = Right hand medium |side = Australia |testdebut = 7 April 2012 v West Indies |lasttest = 3 January 2013 v Sri Lanka |odidebut = 5 February 2012 v India |lastodi = 28 August 2012 v Pakistan |shirt = 35 |club1 = Tasmania |year1 = 2006-2007 |clubnumber1 = |club2 = Victoria |year2 = 2008- |clubnumber2 |club3 = Delhi Daredevils |year3 = 2011 |clubnumber3 = |club4 = Melbourne Stars |year4 = 2011- |clubnumber4 = }} Matthew Scott Wade (born 26 December 1987) is an Australian cricketer, who has represented the Australian national team as wicketkeeper in all three forms of international cricket (Test, One-Day International and Twenty20 International). He plays domestic first class and List A cricket for the Victoria Bushrangers, and domestic Twenty20 cricket for the Melbourne Stars. Originally from Hobart, Tasmania, Wade played both cricket and Australian rules football until the age of 19, participating in the 2006 Under-19 Cricket World Cup as well as playing underage football for the Tassie Mariners in the TAC Cup. After representing Tasmania in one List A match, he moved to Victoria for the 2007–08 season to further his opportunities. He soon established himself as Victoria's first-choice wicketkeeper, and was selected in the Australia A side in 2010, and made his debut for Australia the following season. Early life Wade was born in Hobart on 26 December 1987. He is the son of Scott Wade, who played football for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and the Clarence and Hobart Football Clubs in the Tasmanian Football League (TFL). His grandfather, Michael Wade, served as president of the Hobart Football Club. Wade represented Tasmania in underage cricket and underage football, vice-captaining the Tassie Mariners in the TAC Cup, where he played alongside future Australian Football League players Sam Lonergan, Grant Birchall and Jack Riewoldt. He representing Australia at the 2006 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. At the age of 16, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, and received two rounds of chemotherapy before he was cleared of the disease. Domestic career Wade played one List A match for the Tasmania Tigers in the 2006-07 Ford Ranger One Day Cup season, which was his only match for Tasmania in any form of the game. His opportunities to be selected as a wicketkeeper in his home state were minimal due to the presence of Tim Paine, who at the time was seen as the likely successor to Brad Haddin as wicketkeeper in the Australian national team. Rather than attempt to become a specialist batsman, Wade moved to Victoria in the 2007-08 season, and within two seasons he had established himself as the state's first choice wicketkeeper ahead of incumbent Adam Crosthwaite. Wade scored his maiden first class century in the 2008-09 season. He made an important contribution to Victoria's win in the 2009-10 Sheffield Shield final against Queensland, when he came out to bat with the team at 5/60 and scored 96 runs. Victoria won the match by 457 runs and Wade was named man of the match. In January 2011, Wade signed up with the Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League. International career Following his success in domestic limited overs cricket, Wade was called up to the Australian team for the first time in October 2011, for a Twenty20 International against South Africa. In February 2012, he made his international breakthrough as a T20I player against India in Sydney, opening the batting and scoring 72 runs from 43 balls to earn the Man of the Match award. Following that T20I series, Wade was called up to the Australian One Day International team for the 2011–12 Commonwealth Bank series. He won the Man of the Match award on debut, scoring 67 runs off 69 balls against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Wade was part of the Australian team for the 2011–12 tour of the West Indies as the limited overs wicketkeeper. However, after Test wicketkeeper Brad Haddin returned home before the Test matches because his daughter was ill, Wade was selected to replace him. He made his Test debut on 7 April against the West Indies at Barbados, and scored his maiden Test century (106) in the third Test in Roseau. Wade was then selected ahead of Haddin for Australia's following Test series against South Africa in November 2012. Style Batting First-class cricket Wade has been an important batsman for the Bushrangers in the longer form of the game. He is known for putting a high price on his wicket and is a consistent run-scorer. His discipline when batting is seen as he often leaves deliveries outside his off stump and makes the bowler bowl at him. However, he is not shy to play the cut shot and it only has to be slightly short and wide for him to play what is his favourite shot. Limited overs cricket In the shorter forms of the game, Wade becomes a destructive batsman with a broad range of strokes. This is seen in the One Day Domestic competition and the Twenty20 Big Bash, where Wade has showcased his ability to score runs at a frenetic pace by playing both orthrodox and innovative shots. Despite his diminutive stature, Wade can hit the ball as long as most batsmen, often hitting sixes that easily clear the MCG boundary. Success in the lower-middle order has been greeted with a promotion as opener in the 2010–11 Ryobi Cup, which has been beneficial for Wade as his crisp hitting is at its full potential against the new ball and with the fielders up in the circle. Wade enjoys pace on the ball, is strong against the short ball and has the ability to either go over the field or pierce a tight off-side field with elegant cuts and drives. Wicket keeping Wade's talents with the bat often overshadow his wicket keeping, but his abilities in this area are highlighted whenever other keeper-batsmen are included in the Victorian team, such as Ryan Carters and Matt Prior. These players play as batsmen only, and Wade is not displaced as wicket keeper. Wade's reliability and his quick reflexes means he has impressed with stunning catches and leg-side saves. He is also able to stand up to the stumps, especially to Andrew McDonald when the conditions suit. Career best performances